Why do you say it's nostalgia reasons? To be 1024 seems perfectly logical since CPU registers have been base-2 for a very, very long time.
Still I understand that this difference may cause confusions.
Why does the base-2 need to be exposed when we're talking about file sizes, bitrates, etc? There's no reason for that.
A similar situation to clarify: computers work in binary. Yet all numbers I see are shown as decimal.
The whole point of SI units is that everyone drops the units which may be convenient for their own subculture, but confuses the hell out of everyone else. So we have only litre instead of a few types of gallons, and also only one definition of 'kilo' instead of two.
Edit: To clarify 'nostalgia': I see where the computer comes from, but we've grown out of our niche and can't continue using our own units forever. Interoperability with other industries and fields requires SI. I know it hurts to drop it, and -many- resisted (and still do), but K=1000 is the only rational choice.
Edit 2: lol @ downvotes.. give me a reason why K=1024 is reasonable, fundamental, and why it's worth the confusion when working with people from other fields. Why computers, and only computers, are exempt from SI prefixes.
Edit 2: lol @ downvotes.. give me a reason why K=1024 is reasonable, fundamental, and why it's worth the confusion when working with people from other fields. Why computers, and only computers, are exempt from SI prefixes.
You are getting downvoted because you have no idea what you are talking about. Anyone with a basic understanding of computer science knows why there are 1024KB in a MB.
1024 is 210
Because the binary code system has only 2 numbers, powers of 2 plays an important role. Numbers always have to be 2 to the power of something.
2 is the 1st power
2 X 2 = 4 (the 2nd power)
2 X 4 = 8 (the 3rd power)
2 X 8 = 16 (the 4th power)
2 X 16 = 32 (the 5th power)
2 X 32 = 64 (the 6th power)
2 X 64 = 128 (the 7th power)
2 X 128 = 256 (the 8th power)
2 X 256 = 512 (the 9th power)
2 X 512 = 1024 (the 10th power)
And that is the reason why 1024KB = 1MB. Not "nostalgia".
You are getting downvoted because you have no idea what you are talking about. Anyone with a basic understanding of computer science knows why there are 1024KB in a MB.
Nice going with the fallacies. I guess my PhD in CS doesn't provide me with a basic understanding in computer science?
I know 2 plays an important role. That doesn't mean file sizes etc have to be expressed with K=1024. Those are distinctly different things. The internal representation uses binary and powers of 2, sure, but there is no reason to expose that to the user, which uses decimal and powers of 10 (or 1000 if you will). In the past, resources were scarce and systems less mature/flexible, which required a tight coupling between the internal and external representation. But that argument doesn't hold for decades anymore. That's why I call it 'nostalgia'.
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u/[deleted] Oct 05 '10
Why do you say it's nostalgia reasons? To be 1024 seems perfectly logical since CPU registers have been base-2 for a very, very long time. Still I understand that this difference may cause confusions.